Latest news with #Congressionally
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
School districts, teachers unions sue over Trump's freeze on education funding
Related : The new case comes as the US Department of Education has agreed to release about $1.3 billion in funding for after-school and summer programming, out of $6.8 billion withheld. No decision has been made yet about the rest of the money, a notice to states on Friday said. Advertisement The money released is for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which include nonprofits such as the Boys & Girls Clubs that serve high-poverty, low-performing districts with after-school and summer programs. The frozen funds prompted alarm that those programs would have to shut down or significantly scale back in the coming weeks if the money remained frozen. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The funds were released after 10 Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said the state received $6.5 million from the released after-school funds, but the Department of Education 'hasn't provided any information about when — or if — the remaining Congressionally allocated education funds will be released.' Advertisement Rhode Island had 'Unnecessary delays and cuts to education funding for students are irresponsible,' Infante-Green said. 'Students and teachers in every school district in Rhode Island will be negatively affected.' The funds that remain withheld support the The Department of Education and Office of Management and Budget did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit. But OMB previously said it was withholding the funds, which are typically disbursed on July 1, in order to review whether the programs were spreading a 'radical leftwing agenda' including support for undocumented immigrants. Miriam Weizenbaum, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said the administration would have to follow the appropriate federal procedures to seek to withhold money for that reason, which wasn't done here. 'You get more notice and opportunity to be heard with a speeding ticket,' Weizenbaum said. The new lawsuit said the 'uncertainty' about the funds is 'causing significant anxiety and confusion among the Teachers Unions' members right before the start of the school year.' 'The Teachers Unions are under intense stress and pressure to help members determine exactly how their jobs will be affected,' the suit said. 'Some members will be scrambling to find new jobs.' If cuts take place, class sizes could grow, the lawsuit said, making it 'more difficult for teachers to effectively perform their jobs' and harder for districts to retain teachers. The plaintiffs include the Anchorage School District in Alaska, the largest district in that state, along with two other Alaskan districts, the Cincinnati Public Schools, and large teachers unions in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas. Advertisement Weizenbaum, who was previously a top litigator in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, said it's unclear if the judge in the separate case would making a ruling that affects all 50 states, or just the 23 states who sued, which would leave out some of the districts in the new case. She said teachers unions also wanted to bring the separate suit in order to make sure their experience of what the funding cuts will bring is heard before the court. 'Their on-the-ground perspective needs to be before a court,' Weizenbaum said. 'This is a big hit across the country at all levels.' Maribeth Calabro, the president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, wrote in a declaration attached to the lawsuit that a wide range of jobs in Providence are funded with the withheld money, including instructional coaches, social workers, and behavioral specialists. The withheld money 'has created widespread uncertainty about staffing levels, student support services, and professional development availability for the upcoming school year,' Calabro wrote. She said Rhode Island's ability to teach the science of reading could be in jeopardy, along with Providence's compliance with a US Department of Justice settlement over properly teaching English to multilingual learners. The group asked for a preliminary injunction to release the funding as the case is heard. A hearing date has not yet been set. Steph Machado can be reached at
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
School Funding Map Shows States Most Impacted by Trump Freeze
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. States across the country are missing more than $6 billion in federal funding grants that have not been released by the Trump administration. Why It Matters The freeze leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs for this summer and the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when—or if—they will receive the money. Without the funding, schools say they won't be able to provide free or affordable after-school care for low-income kids while their parents work, and they may not be able to hire staff to teach children who are learning English. Classes or camps underway this summer could also be in jeopardy. It also sets the stage for a clash with Democrats, who say the administration is flouting the law by holding back money Congress has appropriated. What To Know The Trump administration has withheld federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure they align with President Donald Trump's priorities. Programs that rely on the money were expecting it to be distributed July 1, but the Department of Education said in a last-minute notice that the money would not be released while the programs are under review, according to the School Superintendents Association. The notice said that "decisions have not yet been made" on grants for the upcoming school year. The Department of Education declined to comment and referred Newsweek to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). An OMB spokesperson told Newsweek that the review is "ongoing" and "no decisions have been made yet." An estimated $6.2 billion in Congressionally appropriated funds across five programs are being withheld, according to the Learning Policy Institute, an education research and policy advocacy group. They include programs that support the educational needs of migrant children, provide before and after-school programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers and help English language learners. Every state is impacted, with funds across the five programs amounting to at least 10 percent of each state's overall federal K-12 funding. For 14 states and the District of Columbia, the withheld funding amounts to at least 15 percent of overall federal K-12 funding. In California, an estimated $180 million is being withheld, amounting to about 16.5 percent of the state's federal education funding. In Texas, more than $660 million is being withheld—more than 16.1 percent of the state's total federal K–12 funding. The map below shows how much is being withheld from each state and the District of Columbia and how much of that withheld funding amounts is as a percentage of the state's total K-12 funding. What People Are Saying The OMB spokesperson told Newsweek: "This is an ongoing programmatic review of education funding." The spokesperson said initial findings of the review show that "many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda. In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students." The spokesperson added: "As stated before, this is an ongoing programmatic review and no decisions have been made yet." Jim Clark, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, said in a statement: "Just like any organization, Boys & Girls Clubs depend on financial commitments to operate—to recruit talent, deliver services, and meet the needs of families they serve daily. If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating." Clark said that as many as 926 Boys and Girls Clubs could close, affecting more than 220,000 kids. Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, said the Trump administration's decision to withhold the money was "a stunning betrayal." Grant said: "Congress appropriated and all 50 states and D.C. have already committed these funds to individual afterschool and summer learning programs, most of which are expecting their grants now. Withholding these funds will cause lasting harm to students and families, and to our education system, our future workforce, and our economy. "If these funds are not released very soon, we will quickly see more children and youth unsupervised and at risk, more academic failures, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce as our child care crisis worsens dramatically." Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat, said in a statement that Trump and OMB director Russ Vought "need to stop sabotaging our students' futures and get these resources out the door. Local school districts can't afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they're owed—nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin." Murray added: "Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they'll have to cut back on afterschool programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed." What's Next It is not clear when the Trump administration will complete its review and whether the funding will be released. If Congress does not approve a rescission request within 45 days, the law requires the administration to distribute the funds as originally planned. Some states have signaled readiness to take court action if necessary. Murray also noted that the administration has proposed to eliminate each of the five programs in its budget request for the 2026 fiscal year.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Trump administration restores funds for HIV prevention following outcry
The Trump administration has lifted a freeze on federal funds for HIV prevention and surveillance programs, officials said, following an outcry from HIV prevention organizations, health experts and Democrats in Congress. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health received notice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday that it had been awarded nearly $20 million for HIV prevention for the 12-month period that began June 1 - an increase of $338,019 from the previous year. "Let's be clear - the Trump administration's move to freeze HIV prevention funding was reckless, illegal and put lives at risk," said Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, in a statement. "I'm relieved the CDC finally did the right thing - but this never should have happened." The CDC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Friedman and other advocates for HIV prevention funding sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month, warning that proposed cuts to these programs would reverse years of progress combating the disease and cause spikes in new cases - especially in California and among the LGBTQ+ community. The letter cited estimates from the Foundation for AIDS Research, known as amfAR, suggesting the cuts could lead to 143,000 additional HIV infections nationwide and 127,000 additional deaths from AIDS-related causes within five years. Los Angeles County, which stood to lose nearly $20 million in annual federal HIV prevention funding, was looking at terminating contracts with 39 providers. Experts said the dissolution of that network could result in as many as 650 new cases per year - pushing the total number of new infections per year in the county to roughly 2,000. "Public Health is grateful for the support and advocacy from the Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Congressional delegation, and all of our community based providers in pushing CDC to restore this Congressionally approved funding," a spokeswoman for the county's health department said. "Looking forward, it is important to note that the President's FY26 budget proposes to eliminate this funding entirely, and we urge our federal partners to support this critical lifesaving funding," she said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
27-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Trump administration restores funds for HIV prevention following outcry
The Trump administration has lifted a freeze on federal funds for HIV prevention and surveillance programs, officials said, following an outcry from HIV prevention organizations, health experts and Democrats in Congress. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health received notice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday that it had been awarded nearly $20 million for HIV prevention for the 12-month period that began June 1 — an increase of $338,019 from the previous year. 'Let's be clear — the Trump administration's move to freeze HIV prevention funding was reckless, illegal and put lives at risk,' said Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) in a statement. 'I'm relieved the CDC finally did the right thing — but this never should have happened.' The CDC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Friedman and other advocates for HIV prevention funding sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month, warning that proposed cuts to these programs would reverse years of progress combating the disease and cause spikes in new cases — especially in California and among the LGBTQ+ community. The letter cited estimates from the Foundation for AIDS Research, known as amfAR, suggesting the cuts could lead to 143,000 additional HIV infections nationwide and 127,000 additional deaths from AIDS-related causes within five years. Los Angeles County, which stood to lose nearly $20 million in annual federal HIV prevention funding, was looking at terminating contracts with 39 providers. Experts said the dissolution of that network could result in as many as 650 new cases per year — pushing the total number of new infections per year in the county to roughly 2,000. 'Public Health is grateful for the support and advocacy from the Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Congressional delegation, and all of our community based providers in pushing CDC to restore this Congressionally approved funding,' a spokeswoman for the county's health department said. 'Looking forward, it is important to note that the President's FY26 budget proposes to eliminate this funding entirely, and we urge our federal partners to support this critical lifesaving funding,' she said.
Roya News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
US considers cutting nearly all international pro-democracy aid programs
Nearly all US-funded pro-democracy programs operating under the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) are at risk of termination, according to internal briefings on a sweeping foreign assistance review led by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The review, sources say, recommends slashing nearly USD 1.3 billion in grants, leaving just two programs untouched: one in China and one in Yemen, The Guardian reported. 'This would terminate about 80 percent of all US government foreign assistance at the State Department,' said a department official briefed on the matter. The recommendations signal a dramatic shift in US foreign policy priorities under the Trump administration. Critics warn that cutting these programs would leave pro-democracy activists in authoritarian countries vulnerable, with many of these initiatives focused on digital freedom, election support, transnational repression, and emergency protection for at-risk civil society figures. Most DRL-backed programs are kept confidential due to the sensitive nature of their work in hostile regimes like Venezuela, Cuba, and China. However, the sudden recommendation to terminate hundreds of grants stunned many inside the State Department. Officials said leadership in both DRL and the Office of Foreign Assistance were 'in shock.' Adding to the controversy, a newly appointed senior adviser to DRL, Samuel Samson, a recent college graduate and rising conservative figure, has reportedly proposed repurposing Congressionally allocated funds to support administration-linked priorities, including resettling Afrikaners to the US and backing the legal defense of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Samson also led a US delegation in May that met with senior officials from Le Pen's National Rally party. Though Le Pen did not meet with him personally, the group rejected a US offer of public support, according to Reuters. Samson's recent writings have drawn criticism as well, particularly a State Department Substack post in which he questioned the designation of Germany's far-right AfD as an extremist party, claiming it undermines democratic elections in Europe. It remains unclear whether his recommendations were included in DRL's official budget planning. The review's release follows OMB Director Russell Vought's Senate testimony, during which he claimed the State Department's foreign assistance programs remained fully operational. Just days later, the results landed at DRL, coinciding with the department's plan to lay off up to 3,400 staff and shutter around 300 offices as part of a massive restructuring championed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Under this reorganization, DRL is expected to be gutted, its aid programs stripped, and its staff laid off. Sources noted this would make it nearly impossible to challenge the funding cuts or defend terminated grants, as employees would lose access to the very resources and email systems required to do so. 'If you cut all the programs in DRL, then, why would you need to keep the staff if they're not doing any work,' said one source familiar with the plan. The proposed dismantling of DRL has sparked outrage from Democratic lawmakers. Ten senators recently wrote a letter to Rubio urging him to reconsider. 'The proposed reorganization would result in a structural and substantive demotion of human rights promotion,' they wrote, arguing it runs counter to Rubio's past as a vocal advocate for oppressed peoples. Citing Rubio's own prior testimony, they added, 'Millions of people around the world who live in societies dominated by fear and oppression look to the United States of America to champion their cause… There are no greater champions more capable of advancing this noble cause than the dedicated staff in DRL.' Despite mounting concerns, the State Department's official line remains cautious. When asked for comment, a senior official said, 'The provision of any foreign assistance, including for democracy programming, will be guided by whether it makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.' Still, many inside and outside the department worry that once these programs are gone, and the personnel with them, America's global human rights leadership will be diminished for years to come.
